LISMORE

LISMORE, a market and post-town (formerly a parliamentary borough), a parish, and the seat of a diocese, partly in the barony of CONDONS and CLONGIBBONS, in the county of CORK, but chiefly in that of COSHMORE and COSHBRIDE, county of WATERFORD, and in the province of MUNSTER, 34 miles (S. S. W.) from Waterford, and 109 ½ (S. W. by S.) from Dublin, on the mail-coach road from Waterford to Cork; containing, with the post-town of Cappoquin (which is separately described), 14,938 inhabitants, of which number, 2894 are in the town of Lismore.

This place, called anciently Dun-sginne, from an old fortification to the east of the town (now called the Round Hill), to which, on his expulsion from Rathenin by King Blathmac, in 631, St. Carthagh fled for shelter, derived its present name, signifying "a great house or village," from a monastery founded here by that saint, which subsequently became a celebrated seat of learning and the head of a diocese. St. Carthagh, who died in 638, and was interred in his own church, was succeeded by St. Cataldus, afterwards Bishop of Tarentum, in Italy, whose successors were indifferently styled abbots or bishops; and the school, which was attended by numbers not only from the neighbouring districts, but also from remote countries, was in the zenith of its reputation about the commencement of the 8th century.

The establishment continued to flourish; and such was the fame of this place, that not less than 20 churches were founded in its immediate vicinity; but in 812 it was plundered by the Danes, who, from that period till 915, five times repeated their devastations. In 978 the town and abbey were burned by the Ossorians; in 1095 the town was destroyed by an accidental fire, and in 1116, 1138, and 1157 both the town and the monastery suffered from conflagration. Henry II., after landing at Waterford, marched to this place, where he was met by the chiefs of Munster, who with the archbishops, bishops, and abbots of Ireland swore allegiance to him, and gave him a charter confirming the kingdom of Ireland to him and his heirs forever. While here the king chose a site, and gave the necessary orders for the erection of a fortress for its defence.

In 1173, Raymond Le Gros, with the English army, marched to this place with the plunder they had taken in Ophaly; and after ravaging the city and neighbourhood, proceeded on his route to Dungarvan. A castle was erected here, in 1185, by John, Earl of Morton, and Lord of Ireland: but four years afterwards it was taken by the Irish, who put Robert de Barry, the commander, and the whole of the garrison to the sword; it was, however, soon afterwards rebuilt by the king, and for many ages continued to be the residence of the bishops of the see, till Miler Magrath, archbishop of Cashel and bishop of Lismore, in 1518, granted the manor and other lands to Sir Walter Raleigh, from whom, with the rest of his possessions, they were purchased by Sir Richard Boyle, afterwards created Earl of Cork.

The castle was greatly strengthened and improved by the Earl, who built three other forts in the neighbourhood, one of which was at the park, one at Ballygarran, and the third at Ballyinn; he also obtained a charter of incorporation for the town, and the grant of a market and fairs. At the commencement of the war in 1641, the castle was besieged by a force of 5000 Irish under Sir Richard Belling, but was bravely defended by the Earl's son, Lord Broghill, who compelled them to abandon the attempt.

In 1643, a party of 200 insurgents, in retaliation for the destruction of Clogheen by the garrison of this place, entered the town and burned most of the thatched houses and cabins, killed 60 of the inhabitants, and carried off several prisoners; and in July of the same year, Lieutenant-General Purcell, commander-in-chief of the insurgent forces, at the head of 7000 foot and 900 horse, with three pieces of artillery, marched to Cappoquin, where he remained for four days laying waste the adjacent country; and being there joined by Lord Muskerry, he advanced to besiege the castle of Lismore. After a week's siege, a cessation of arms was mutually agreed on, and the assailants immediately retired; but the castle suffered great injury during this war, and in 1645, being burned by Lord Castlehaven, it was reduced almost to a ruin, and the town became a neglected village, consisting only of a few miserable cabins.

In 1686, the Earl of Clarendon, on his progress through Munster, passed a night in this castle, which was also visited by James II., in 1689; and in 1785 the Duke of Rutland, Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland, held a council in the castle, from which he issued several proclamations. The castle, with all its lands and other property, descended from the Earls of Cork and Burlington, by marriage, to the ancestor of his Grace the Duke of Devonshire, who is the present proprietor.

The town, which has been greatly improved by the late and present Duke, is romantically situated on the summit of a steep eminence, rising to the height of 93 feet from the southern bank of the river Blackwater, over which is a fine bridge of stone, erected by the late Duke of Devonshire at an expense of £9000, and of which the central arch has a span of 100 feet. Some new streets have been made: the total number of houses, in 1831, was 366, of which several are neat and well built; the place has a cheerful and thriving appearance.

The castle, restored by the late Duke in 1812, forms an imposing object, rising majestically from the elevated bank of the river, and occupying the verge of a precipitous cliff, partly clothed with wood and towering above the foliage which conceals its base. The approach is through an outer gateway, called the Riding House, from which a long avenue of stately trees, flanked with high stone walls, leads to the principal entrance through a lofty gateway tower, over which are the arms of the first Earl of Cork, into the square of the castle, of which several of the towers are still in their original state, though other portions of the building have been restored and embellished in a more modern style. The state apartments are spacious and very elegantly fitted up; the drawing-rooms are hung with splendid tapestry and paintings by the first masters.

From the summits of the tower and the flat roofs of the building are magnificent views of the surrounding country; in front is the lofty mountain of Knockmeledown, rising above the range of hills extending eastward, from which a deep ravine thickly wooded and alternated with projecting masses of rugged rock appearing through the foliage, descends to the vale immediately below it, which is embellished with handsome residences and rich plantations; and near its apparent extremity is seen the town of Cappoquin, with the spire of its church and its bridge of light structure over the river. In the grounds are some remarkably fine yew trees of great age, forming an avenue and assuming the appearance of cloisters.

The trade is very inconsiderable; but on the river, immediately below the castle, is an extensive salmon fishery, and during the season great quantities of fish are taken, which are packed in ice, and exported to Liverpool and to other distant ports. The Blackwater affords great facility of commerce with the port of Youghal; the navigation has been extended from the point to which the tide reaches, about a mile to the east, up to the bridge by a canal constructed at the expense of the late Duke, by means of which corn and flour are exported, and timber, iron, coal, and miscellaneous articles are imported in lighters plying between this place and Youghal. There are no stated market days: the fairs are on May 25th, Sept. 25th, and Nov. 12th; and there is a constabulary police station.

Search Topographical Dictionary of Ireland »